


whirlwind

by twistedsky



Series: project queer [1]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-31
Updated: 2017-07-31
Packaged: 2018-12-02 13:17:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,650
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11510214
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/twistedsky/pseuds/twistedsky
Summary: Isabelle hears her soulmate say her name for the first time, and color floods into her life. This is an AU where Isabelle works in her family cafe.





	whirlwind

**Author's Note:**

> I need to stop writing soulmate AUs. An important note--I wrote this fic a while ago, and I'm wildly behind, so I'm not up to date with the most current Shadowhunters episodes. All mistakes are my own. I've tried reworking this a few times, but this it's a little stubborn. 
> 
> This fic is the first written for Project Queer--a fic project where everyone is gay, lesbian, bi, pan, trans, ace, etc etc. Explicit or not.
> 
> Prompt: Shadowhunters+soulmates

"Clary?" Izzy calls out one day after finishing an order.

No one makes a move to come closer to the counter, so Izzy shrugs and sets the bag down. She starts working on the next order while she waits. It's extremely rare for someone to order, pay, and then run away before their food is done.

Usually, Izzy assumes it has to be some sort of life and death emergency.

Alec likes to say that her imagination gets away from her, but she imagines a spy being chased by anti-government agents who just can't wait for their food. She also thinks it's ridiculous that Alec says _she_ lets her imagination get away from her, because he is the most dramatic person she knows.

Regardless, most of the time people are in the bathroom, or they need a few seconds to grab their things before they wander back to the counter.

"Clary--" Izzy calls out again while she finishes wrapping a sandwich.

"Here," she hears, and she looks up to see a girl with a sketchbook and bags under her eyes smiling at her. She's clearly a student at the university. And probably an art or an architecture student, if Izzy is reading the whole vibe correctly. And she usually is. Lightwood Cafe(one of seven locations in the state!) is located across the street from the university campus, and they might as well be part of it.

Clary looks at her strangely for a moment, hesitating before grabbing her food. Izzy isn't sure what she's doing, so she just keeps smiling back and puts the sandwich she's holding in a bag.

"Thank you," Clary says finally. She takes her bag, and then leaves.

Maybe she's having an off day, Izzy thinks fleetingly. Izzy meets all kinds of people working for her family's cafe. This girl isn't even strange enough to register on her radar.

She is pretty though, Izzy thinks before forgetting the girl and moving on.

"Charles--" Izzy calls out. She smiles when an energetic college student practically runs over. His hair is wild, and it looks like he hasn't slept in five days.

These are her people.

~~

"He likes you, Alec," Izzy says. "You should totally ask him out."

"It's weird to ask out a customer," Alec says stiffly. Izzy rolls her eyes. This is what Alec does. He rationalizes his fears by putting them in the context of protecting the business.

Izzy's not in the mood to humor that.

Instead, Izzy looks over at the cute guy waiting for his pasta and sandwich, and sighs. "Too bad."

"You should do it," Jace says. He'd seemed a little disinterested by the conversation, but he's always listening. Izzy thinks he might do that to lower expectations, but he's her brother. She's used to him being ridiculous. He pretends not to care, because he's afraid other people don't. Since the day she met him when they were kids, and he came to live with her family, this has always been clear. "I ask out customers, and they usually say yes."

"Probably because they think they'll get free food out of you," Alec says grumpily.

Jace just laughs. "I think they just like me, Alec. It's definitely not for the imaginary sex we won't be having," he says with a shrug.

Izzy finishes Cute Guy's order and puts it in the bag. She looks down at the name. "Magnus--" She calls out. Magnus, her brother Alec's aforementioned crush, looks up from his book, and starts walking toward the counter.

He's definitely hot. If Alec weren't totally crushing on him, Izzy might hit on him.

She's not sure what Alec's issue is, but she's pretty sure it's either that he's worried that their parents don't fully accept him--sort of possible, though Izzy hopes that's not the case--or it's a weird soulmate thing.

Alec thinks the family business is the most important thing in the world, which is why he's in business school. Izzy thinks he might even like it, but she's not sure she could tell if he didn't. She's not sure he could either. After he finishes business school, Izzy is pretty sure her parents are going to expand his familial responsibilities.

Jace is happy enough making food, and Izzy wants to go to medical school. Her youngest brother Max seems to have an affinity for the family business too, but it's too early to tell. But Alec? Alec has always seemed to want this.

She hands Magnus his food. "Have a nice day," she says.

"You too," he says with a smile. He turns to Alec. "Have a nice day, Alec."

"You too," Alec echoes. He's wiping down the counter beside her, and Izzy can feel how tense and fluttery he is.

She's pretty sure he's had a crush on Magnus since he started coming to Lightwood Cafe a year ago and they had a fifteen minute conversation about how much they love cats.

She's also pretty sure that Magnus started flirting with her brother after he stopped bringing by a pretty brunette with him, but that's a whole different thing.

Izzy turns to Alec. He's wiping mindlessly, and Jace is headed back into the kitchen for the food that takes a little longer to assemble. "I have to go to class," Izzy says. "I have a midterm, and if I want to graduate, I need to pass it."

"You will," Alec says confidently. His faith in her warms her heart.

She has faith in herself, but it's nice that he supports her. When she has to quit working at the cafe next year so that she can go to med school, she's going to need him and Jace both firmly in her corner when she tells their parents.

She loves the cafe--it's where she grew up. It's the first cafe that bears her family's name, before they went off and opened a whole chain of them. But it isn't her dream.

Alec will take over the family business, Jace will be Jace, and her little brother Max can do whatever it is he wants to do. And Izzy's going to be the best damn forensic pathologist this city has ever seen.

~~

Izzy is a romantic at heart, but she's not the type to go searching for her soulmate. When it's meant to happen, it will. And if it isn't meant to be? Then that's okay too.

But when they discuss soulmate illnesses in her bio class, it's still wildly fascinating. The connection between soulmates is spiritual, but can also be physical. Plus, those who lose their soulmates, or have something go awry have been known to suffer serious illnesses.

The science is compelling, though of course there's still a lot to learn.

"--we still have a lot to learn about the biological component of soulmates," her professor says, and Izzy nods her head slightly in agreement, and finishes up her notes. She knows when Professor Rollins is ready to finish class.

She checks the time. And she even has time for a quick fifteen minute break before she heads to the cafe.

"You're dismissed," Rollins says, and Izzy grabs her bag and makes her way out of the classroom.

Izzy makes her way all of the way to her favorite coffee cart, and runs right into someone. She drops her books, but thankfully not her laptop.

"Sorry," she apologizes. Izzy squats down and starts picking up the art supplies the other woman has dropped. She looks up, and narrows her eyes. The girl looks familiar, but Izzy can't place her, which means she's either a classmate or a customer.

"My fault," the girl says, and exchanges a stack of Izzy's books for her own sketchpad and supplies. And that's when Izzy places her--cute girl from the cafe, who comes in semi-regularly.

"At least I wasn't carrying coffee," Izzy says, motioning to the line she's in.

The girl smiles. "I'm surprised you don't just get coffee at Lightwood." She looks a little flustered after she says that.

"I'll let you in on a secret," Izzy lowers her voice slightly and mock whispers. "Our coffee is great, but the price is the last bit of alone time I have before my shift," she explains. "My brothers are . . . well, they're my brothers." Izzy shrugs, and the other girl nods her head.

"I can respect that," the girl says. "I'm Clary, by the way--" she waves her sketchpad, since they've both got their hands full.

"It's nice to meet you, Clary," Izzy says. It's very purposeful. Some people are obsessive about using names when they've first met someone, and some avoid it at all costs. Izzy simply thinks of it as a matter of respect. If color floods into your life at the use of your name, that's fine. But in the meantime, there's no reason to be impolite. "I'm Isabelle, but you can call me Izzy." Izzy steps forward in line as another customer gets helped.

Clary steps with her, and Izzy can't help but be pleased.

It's really hard not to date the customers.

"It's nice to meet you too," Clary hesitates. Izzy knows that hesitation. She's seen it a thousand times, because that's what happens. People get worried about names, because that's what triggers the soulmate bond.

"--It's nice to meet you," Clary says again, "Izzy."

Izzy steps forward to give her coffee order, and it's only habit that has the words rolling off her tongue. She feels like she's been punched in the stomach.

She's briefly distracted by the fact that her favorite barista's hat is hideous. It looks like-well, actually, she's not sure what it looks like, because she doesn't have much to compare the colors too.

She pays, and then turns to see Clary staring at her awkwardly.

"Did you--" she starts to ask, but then Clary's phone rings, and Izzy has to get to her shift, so there's not time to say anything else.

"I have to go," Clary says apologetically, holding her phone away from her mouth for a moment.

Izzy just nods, a little dazed.

Izzy goes and sits down at the nearby fountain, and tries to get her bearings. She has a splitting headache, which she's heard happens.

She pulls out her phone. "Alec?" Izzy closes her eyes. "I'm going to be a few minutes late."

~~

When she gets to the cafe, Alec just waits expectantly. They're a little busy because it's dinner time, so they simply work.

And when things finally wind down, Izzy sits on a stool, and rubs her hands together.

"So, I think I met my soulmate," Izzy says.

Alec's eyes widen. It's a weird sort of thing, because Alec and Jace are platonic soulmates, and they met so early on that Alec has admitted that he doesn't remember what a world in shades of grey even looked like.

It's why the soulmate thing is so complicated for Alec--he already has a soulmate, so how is he supposed to know if he meets another one? Alec can be reserved, but he feels deeply.

"Wow," Alec says. "Huh. Who is the lucky person?"

Izzy bites her tongue, and then meets his eyes. "Some girl. Art student, I think. I didn't really get much of a chance to talk to her."

"Did you at least get her number?" Alec asks, and Izzy laughs.

"Unfortunately, no. It took me by surprise." Izzy sighs. "But I've seen her around a few times before. I'm sure I'll run into her again."

Alec nods. "I'm sure you will," he says, and pats her shoulder.

She reaches for his hand, and squeezes it gently. "I'd be surprised if I didn't," she says lightly.

~~

She sees Clary again the next day, right after the morning rush.

Izzy's got a half day today, and no classes, so she's ready to go home and study and nap before she drags her brothers out to a party. It'll be a nice distraction, she thinks.

Of course, now Clary is standing in front of her.

"No sketchpad this time," Izzy observes. It's not the smoothest thing to say, but it's the first thing that pops into her head.

Clary nods. "No class today. I'm a drawing student. A little painting, a dash of sculpting. Minor in ancient languages."

"Wow," Izzy tilts her head to the side. "My soulmate has layers," she says as casually as possible.

Clary winces. "I'm sorry about that, by the way. The other day, you called my order, and it took me by surprise, and I didn't know what to say."

"The other day--"Izzy realizes. "Oh, I didn't realize. But I suppose you're here now. It's water under the bridge."

Clary smiles. "So--" she looks around, like she's not sure what's supposed to come next. It's fair, probability indicates that she's probably never done this before, and Izzy certainly never has.

"Would you like to go on a little adventure with me?" Izzy asks.

"Yes," Clary replies quickly, and then she almost looks surprised by how quickly she'd said it.

It's cute.

"Think of it as an opportunity for us to get to know each other," Izzy says. "You pick a place, I pick a place. Are you free now?"

"Yes," Clary says again. "I have somewhere we could be at 8."

"Well, it's noon now, so let's start with lunch," Izzy says, and she looks over at Jace, who predictably gives her two thumbs up. "I'm dying for pizza."

"Pizza sounds perfect," Clary agrees. Clary smiles, and Izzy's insides light up.

She thinks she might get why this whole soulmate thing works--the power of color, the warm, gooey emotions--it's nice.

~~

Izzy takes her to lunch, and then Clary takes them to a bridge.

"I like to look out at the water, and the city," Clary says. "My hands get twitchy for my camera when I'm here, but I suppose this will do," Clary pulls out her phone. "Want to take a picture?"

"Our first selfie," Izzy coos teasingly, but she nods her head, and they take about two dozen photos in various poses with various faces.

"When I get stressed, I like to come here," Clary tells her. "It helps me think."

"That's lovely," Izzy says. "It's good to have a place to get away from everything, and just focus on what's important."

It's at that moment that she knows exactly where they should go next.

They take half an introductory self-defense class, because that's where Izzy goes to think, and it turns out that Clary needs some practice.

"I'll fix that," Izzy says, "We'll have you in fighting shape in no time."

"If you say so," Clary says, but she doesn't sound like she believes it. "There's a really good Chinese restaurant around here, if you want an early dinner."

"Clary Fray, the path to my heart is most certainly through my stomach," Izzy says dramatically, with a hand over her heart. "Sounds perfect."

Then it's drinks at a bar Izzy likes until finally Clary takes Izzy to the university campus. They head over to the art school building, where there's a show.

Along the way, they talk about everything and anything. Izzy feels lightheaded, and the most important thing she gets from Clary is how important the people in her life are, and how important art is to her.

Clary's kind, and creative, and smart.

She's beautiful too, and Izzy is hardly upset about that. All of those other things add to it though, which is why when she sees a painting that Clary did, her heart feels like it's in her stomach.

It's one color, but full of shades of textures--and then it occurs to Izzy that Clary is an artist who only just became able to see color, and she wonders what impact that has.

Art is a very specific sort of industry as it is, since parts of the population can only see in shades of gray. There's a surgery that can give color to you, but it forever disconnects you from your ability to find your soulmate. For some, that's a worthwhile choice. For others--well, Izzy has never once considered such an option.

"I feel--" Izzy says, but she's nearly speechless, she can barely describe what it makes her feel. This might partially be the shots at the bar, or the champagne she's drinking now, but she's felt a little drunk all day, just from spending time with Clary.

But this painting brings her a bright, brilliant moment of pure clarity.

"This is incredible," Izzy says eventually. And then--"Do you want to go on another date tomorrow?"

"I'd love to," Clary says, and somehow she isn't taken aback by the fact that the request came seemingly out of nowhere.

Maybe it's the soulmate thing. "Are you in pain, Clary?" Izzy asks softly. She studies the painting, and that's what it evokes in her. She could be completely off base, because she's never studied art.

"Aren't we all?" Clary asks, and Izzy looks at her.

Izzy isn't sure what to say. She tilts her head to the side, studying Clary carefully. Finally, she reaches out her hand and offers it to Clary. Clary takes it, and they walk forward together.

~~

"Just be careful," Alec says, ever the most logical and reasonable Lightwood.

"She's my soulmate, this is perfectly normal," Izzy says with a shrug.

"I know, but--" Alec sighs. "I worry about you. I know you want to fall fast and hard, because that's the instinct, but--"

"You're worried about me," Izzy repeats. "I like her, but we're taking it slow."

"You've seen each other every day for the last three weeks," Alec says.

"We haven't slept together. We're not moving in together, or getting married. I can take care of myself," Izzy reminds him.

"I know you can," Alec says. "But I've read a lot of the same books you have. It's normal, but it can be dangerous."

Izzy nods. She reaches out a hand and touches Alec's arm. "I know." It's important to remember--soulmates have been known to lose themselves in each other, and as much as she likes Clary . . . she doesn't want that. She's still her own person, and she wants it to stay that way.

"So what about you, big brother?" Izzy changes the subject. "Are you going on any dates these days?"

Alec flushes red, and Izzy narrows her eyes. "Well, I sort of ran into Magnus the other day when I was out buying a new quiver, and--"

"Did you finally ask him out?" Izzy asks.

"He gave me his number, but we haven't--" Alec is about to start on an excuse spiral, and Izzy doesn't have time for that. And honestly? Alec needs to get out of his own way sometimes.

"Just text him," Izzy says. "You like him, he likes you. Be brave, big brother. Don't worry about what our parents might say, or anything else. Just--do what you want to do for once."

Alec opens his mouth as if he's going to argue, but then he doesn't say anything, just shuts his mouth and nods.

"Good," Izzy says. "We'll go shopping before your first date, because I think you own like ten of the same black shirt." Before she met Clary, she'd known that he tended to favor the same sort of clothing, but now she can see that he genuinely just has multiple sets of the same outfits. Color has done nothing for his fashion sense.

"It goes with everything," Alec says with a shrug.

"You're lucky you have me," Izzy says.

"I know," Alec agrees, and it warms her heart. Impulsively, she hugs him.

"I'm lucky to have you too," she says softly.

~~

When Izzy said that they were taking things slow, technically she was correct.

They've been on a bunch of dates, but they haven't kissed.

It's starting to make Izzy a little nervous, if she's honest.

She's not really used to this--but she's also not used to it meaning so much. It's a lot of pressure to put on a new relationship.

Izzy tries to remind herself that the first time she saw Clary, she thought she was cute. This whole thing starts to feel a little too intense sometimes.

It's not entirely magic or science. It follows its own internal logic, even if they don't entirely understand it.

It's gotten into Izzy's head.

Izzy goes over to Clary's to pick her up for a group date with some of Clary's friends. Simon is kind of nerdy cute, but she hasn't really met the rest, except Simon's extremely hot boyfriend Raphael.

"You look beautiful," Clary says to her when she opens her door.

"Do you want to kiss me?" Izzy blurts out, and Clary looks surprised for a moment before she smiles.

"Of course," Clary says. "But I wasn't sure--"

Izzy leans forward, and cups Clary's face with her hands, and then kisses her. Her mouth fits perfectly against Clary's, and for a moment she just lets herself drown in the sensation.

She pulls away breathlessly, and already feels much better.

"We can go now," Izzy says, but Clary leans forward and kisses her again, and Izzy feels dizzy from the rush.

Eventually Clary pulls away slightly. She presses her forward against Izzy's, not pulling away entirely. Not yet.

~~

They're nearly late to the performance. It's a tiny little place, but it's got a decent number of patrons. Most of them are there for the alcohol, not the band, but none of them actively seem to mind the music.

Izzy holds Clary's hand and can't stop smiling.

Simon's in the band, so Clary is at least pretending to pay attention.

They're actually decent, but Izzy is a little distracted at the moment.

"I'm going to get more drinks," Izzy whispers to Clary, and then hops off her bar stool and heads to the bar.

She runs into Simon's boyfriend at the bar. "Enjoying the performance?" Raphael asks.

"Of course," Izzy says. She turns to the bartender and orders, and then turns back to Raphael. "Are you?"

Raphael smiles. "I'm a little tone-deaf, but I love him anyway. It's just noise to me. But that's what love is. He can sing to me all day long, and I just love him a little more for it."

Izzy nods. "That sounds lovely," she says honestly. "I hope Clary and I can be that happy one day."

"If you're lucky," Raphael says. "You know," Raphael pauses and finishes his drink, and requests another one. "I used to believe I wouldn't be able to connect with my soulmate. That somehow, I'd end up in that horrible percentage of people who just can't click, because there's something in the way.That the thing that makes me _me_ wouldn't be compatible with them."

Izzy knows what he's talking about. She thinks that this is one of Alec's fears. She's never been too worried about that, besides wondering if her sexuality would be compatible with her soulmate's. There are other worries too, of course--most values are the same with soulmates, but sometimes . . . sometimes circumstance changes people, and makes it hard for them to open up to their soulmate.

"Was it something in particular?" Izzy asks now. "Or the universal fear?"

"Something specific," Raphael says, and Izzy reaches for the drinks the bartender sets in front of her."But the most important thing," he continues. "Is not to be guided that fear."

Izzy nods, like somehow she knows what he's talking about. She's doesn't, not entirely.

~~

Clary loves art--she wants to be an artist, but she also wants to get her teaching certification, because she wants to teach. This is part of who she is.

And when they start talking about the future, even nebulously, they start to ask the important questions, like: can we make a life together? Do our plans fit together?

The thing about soulmates is that sometimes the timing can be off. Sometimes, you need to travel the world, but your soulmate needs to stay home and feel safe. Later, when you come back, your soulmate might not be happy to see you.

"Are you going to keep working at the cafe during med school?" Clary asks innocently.

It's a reasonable question, especially considering that they're talking about the schools that Izzy is applying to, and they're all in New York.

"I can't," Izzy says.

Clary just nods, because she doesn't entirely understand the enormity of that. She knows that Izzy's parents can be a little intense, but she doesn't understand how upset they'll be.

"Sometimes," Izzy hears herself saying, "I think I just won't tell my parents. I'll just quit, and Alec and Jace will hire someone else, and they'll be fine without me."

"You could do that," Clary says. "But--"

"I shouldn't," Izzy finishes. "I know. I'm a little concerned they might never speak to me again."

"They know you want to go to med school though, right?" Clary points out. "They have to know it's coming."

"They never mention it," Izzy says. "They just keep acting like I'll always work at the family company. Like eventually I'll run everything like Alec wants to."

Clary reaches out a hand and takes Izzy's hand into her own, squeezing it. "Whatever you do, you'll make it work," she says.

Izzy wants to believe that, but most days? She isn't quite sure.

~~

Izzy's afraid of the future. It's not specifically related to Clary, or even just to her parents.

The future terrifies her because she hasn't fully accepted what it will be. But it's time.

Her parents come to visit, and she has to introduce them to Clary, and then Alec introduces them to his boyfriend, and it goes . . . better than expected. Her parents have been separated for a while, but they do a good job of keeping up professional appearances with the business.

When Izzy came out, it was different than when Alec did. Maybe it's some weird biphobia thing or just a girl thing, and they thought she'd end up with a dude, and everything would be fine.

And yet--deep down, she knows that her parents love her.

Her parents are kind to Clary, and Izzy is grateful for that, at least. Maybe the years since her parents left them in charge of the local cafe to focus on the other locations has changed them. Maybe being apart has changed them, or maybe they haven't changed at all, and they're just better at hiding things.

Izzy chooses to coast off of the goodwill--"I think I'll stop working at the cafe sometime during the summer, so that I can get ready for medical school." Clary reaches for her hand under the table.

"Just make sure you find a suitable replacement, so that your brothers aren't overwhelmed," her father says, and her mother nods.

"No complaints?" Izzy asks, and she tries to keep it as non-judgmental as possible.

"We've always expected you to focus on your studies, Isabelle," Maryse Lightwood says. "Ever since you decided that this was what you wanted to do. It disappoints us, of course, because this is the Lightwood legacy."

"Of course," Izzy says. "I'm familiar with your disappointment."

Maryse looks over at her sharply. "We're still proud of you," she says. "And you'll always have a place with the family businesses, even if you don't want one."

Izzy isn't sure what to say to that.

She shares a careful look with Alec, who just shrugs.

"Thanks," she says eventually. She's still holding Clary's hand.

Her understanding of the world feels a little off-kilter. She was so scared of this moment, and now it's over. She feels freer, as if a huge weight has lifted off of her.

Clary squeezes her hand, and Izzy squeezes back.

The future isn't so scary.


End file.
